


Let's Go Home

by thewulf (Aloha4Ever)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, KnightRook, Once Upon A Time, Other, knight rook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-04-07 15:32:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14084007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aloha4Ever/pseuds/thewulf
Summary: This story details the adventures of Detective Rogers and Tilly as new roommates. Set during and post-"Girl in the Tower". Each chapter can be read as a standalone.





	1. Chapter 1

Rogers finishes up at the station and prepares to head home for the night when he spots Tilly’s worn and faded backpack sitting on a chair. He decides to return it to Tilly on his way, and take that as an opportunity to check on her. The troubled young girl has had a rough couple of days, and with a murderer on the loose and out to frame her, he wants to make sure she reached home safely.

The detective feels disturbed throughout the drive, Tilly’s words from the morning echoing in his head. _No one sees me…I’m invisible…What if I don’t exist at all._ His thoughts don’t coalesce into a coherent plan until he parks in front of the rusty old shed Tilly calls home. He takes a deep breath. He now knows what he needs to do.

He knocks on the door and enters, without waiting for her response. Tilly looks surprised and pleased to see him, but he notices the way her face falls when she thinks he only stopped by to drop off her backpack. He recognizes the look. After all, he sees that very same expression on his face every morning in the mirror—it is the look of someone who is lonely and does not get visitors.

“Look Tilly,” he begins. “This…uh…this place isn’t safe for you. Not with the murderer at large.”

“I don’t got nowhere else to go,” says Tilly with a sad little smile that makes his heart twinge in compassion.

“How about you come stay with me for a while?” he offers in a matter of fact tone, so as to not make Tilly feel awkward. “I’ve got a spare room, central heating, a better lock on the door than this.”

“Yeah. I’d like that very much,” she replies, eyes sparking.

“Alright, then. Good. Well—come on,” he says, picking up the backpack he had just set down. “Let’s go home.”

Tilly smiles wide and follows him out of the door.

Once they reach his apartment, Rogers gets Tilly settled into the second bedroom, finding her spare towels and an extra blanket. As Tilly goes to take a hot shower, the detective sets about cooking dinner for himself and his new roommate. He doesn’t always cook—preferring to subsist on TV dinners and take-out half the time. However, something compels him to prepare a meal for Tilly. It is nice to have someone to cook for, and he’s not sure when Tilly last ate.  

By the time Tilly’s done with her shower, Rogers has chicken noodle soup bubbling away on the stovetop and garlic bread toasting in the oven.

“Mmmm…. That smells wonderful!” says Tilly, giving an excited little hop.

Rogers smiles and asks her to set the dining table in the living room.

“Is there marmalade?” she calls out from the other room.

Rogers laughs. “I’m not sure it goes with garlic bread, love.”

“I don’t care. I can eat it on any kind of bread,” she declares, standing at the threshold of the kitchen.

Rogers silently points her to the refrigerator with a smile.

He takes the soup and toasted bread to the living room once they’re ready. He finds Tilly sitting on one of the dining chairs, her feet on the other, dipping into the marmalade jar with a spoon. She jumps up with a guilty expression when she sees him. Rogers merely shakes his head in fond exasperation as he ladles the steaming hot soup into a bowl for Tilly.

“Thanks, papa,” she says, taking the bowl from him.

Rogers blinks.

“Uh…I mean, thanks, detective,” says Tilly, and blushes. “I don’t know where _that_ came from.”

“That’s alright,” he responds with a reassuring smile, unsure why his eyes are stinging.

After they finish their meal, Tilly helps him wash up, and they spend some time watching TV. It’s not long before Tilly falls asleep with her mouth open, her feet propped up on the arm of the couch. Rogers checks the clock. It is past mid-night—time he went to bed himself, if he’s to get an early start in the morning. He gently shakes Tilly awake. She yawns as she stands up.

“Sorry, I feel asleep,” says Tilly, yawning again half way through the sentence.

Rogers smiles. “That’s okay love. I’m turning in myself. Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight.”

Just as he is about to step into his bedroom, Tilly calls out, “Detective!”

He turns, looking at her questioningly.

“Goodnight. And…and thank you,” she says, looking down at her feet briefly before raising her face to meet his eyes. “For seeing me…and for bringing me home.”

“You’re welcome, love,” he replies, a warm glow pressing down on his chest as he prepares for bed.

Rogers had spent years looking for the missing Eloise Gardner. He had found her, but she turned out to be a completely different person from the helpless victim he had imagined her to be. Nevertheless, he feels a deep conviction that Tilly is exactly who she appears to be. There is no deception in her innocent heart, and he vows to do the best he can to help her find her place in this world, as he suspects she is helping him find his. And for the first time in a long time, he falls into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	2. Sea Star

 

Rogers’s alarm goes off at six o’clock the following morning, and the detective sleepily stretches his arm to hit the snooze button. As he snuggles back under his comforter, he wonders at the insistent feeling of joy niggling at his brain. He sleepily tries to puzzle it out in the half-haze of the dawn when the alarm goes off again. He startles up to a sitting position even as memories of last night come flooding back.

Tilly. He smiles even as he feels a tiny qualm about his decision. He knows in his heart that he has done the right thing in offering the vulnerable young girl his home, under the circumstances. But what of the long-term? Would she think it a permanent arrangement? Does  _ he _ want it to be a permanent arrangement? He shakes his head and begins his morning ablutions. It’s too early to worry about that. For now, perhaps he should talk to Tilly and look into getting her enrolled in a vocational program or course. 

He shaves, showers, and gets dressed, strapping on the prosthetic hand before donning a shirt. As he exits the room, he smells coffee percolating in the kitchen. Tilly must be awake.

“Good morning, Detective!” a cheery voice greets him from the back of the living room. “I was admiring your aquarium.”

Rogers pours himself a cup of coffee and walks up to where Tilly is perched on a stool, staring intently at his reef aquarium.

At his approach, she turns and says with a grin, “I can’t believe I missed it last night! It’s so gorgeous!”

“Thank you!” says Rogers, fighting a rising blush as he takes a sip of coffee. This is not something many people know about him. In fact, he doubts anyone but Henry, who is the only person from among his coworkers and friends that has stepped foot in his apartment, knows about his hobby.

“How long have you had fishies?”

“I…ah. About three years or so,” he says shortly. That was a few months after he had stopped drinking. His counselor had suggested getting a pet (a low maintenance one to begin with), stating that having something to care for might help in fighting the ever-present impulse to give in and take  _ just one sip of alcohol _ . He had found himself driving to the local pet store, wondering if getting a pet guinea pig or a rabbit was the stupidest idea imaginable. He was still a mess—he would probably end up killing the poor creature within a fortnight.

“Shiver me timbers…” the resident macaw shrieked at him as he passed by its perch and stumbled into the aquarium section. He was immediately drawn in. He had started off with a simple 5 gallon freshwater aquarium housing a couple of guppies and mollies, but had soon “graduated” to the more complex saltwater systems. He was now the proud owner of a 40 gallon reef aquarium complete with live corals.

Tilly is clearly mesmerized by it all and eagerly questions him on the kinds of fish he has and the set-up of the tank as he drops fish and plant food pellets into it. Rogers finds himself getting quite into the topic as he explains the mechanics of the water circulation and aeration, and pointing out the different varieties of fish and coral in the tank.

“Look, I found Nemo!” says Tilly, giggling as she points to a little clownfish peeking out from between the corals. Rogers smiles indulgently at her.

“And there’s his dad!” she exclaims, as a larger clownfish swims up behind ‘Nemo’, fins flapping. “I’m glad they’re together.”

Rogers is caught by the wistful tone in Tilly’s voice, and remembers Weaver saying something about Eloise Gardner’s cult having separated Tilly from her parents. He makes a mental note to himself to research the details of the case.

Tilly gasps suddenly. Rogers looks at her in alarm; she’s pointing at something in the back corner of the tank, half-buried in the sand. “Is that a starfish?”

Rogers peers at it. “Yes. There are quite a few of them in there, in fact. They add a lovely color to the tank, and do a good job keeping it clean.”

They watch as the little starfish slowly makes its way to the front and starts crawling up a rock. It is a red sea star with tiny deep blue spots on top.  

“Oh, it’s so pretty!” says Tilly. “Does it have a name?”

“I haven’t named any of them, but feel free to do so if you wish.”

“Thanks, Detective,” says Tilly with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that has Rogers narrowing his own at her.

“I’m going to retain the power of veto.”

Tilly sticks out her tongue. “You’re no fun! And just for that, I’ll name the most boring rock in the aquarium  _ Rogers _ .”

Rogers laughs at that, full-throated and carefree, and Tilly joins in.

“That’s fine, Tilly. Go ahead. And you know what, we should call that little starfish Tilly.”

“Really?” she asks, with surprise and pleasure.

“Really. It does look a lot like you, especially when you’re wearing that red plaid shirt you’re so fond of.”

Tilly grins. “Alright, I won’t name the rock after you. You can be Nemo’s dad.”

Rogers smiles broadly. And that smile doesn’t entirely fade through the rest of the day, even when Weaver is being extra clipped and cryptic, and the lads in the bullpen a tad rowdier than usual. On the way home, as he stops at the convenience store to get bread and milk, he also picks up a jar of orange marmalade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @ultraluckycatnd for the beta!


	3. At Sixes and Sevens

Tilly talks his ear off as he drives them home—her first day working at the Rollin’ Bayou has been a roaring success. She tells him about the different people she met, how sweet Sabine is, the actual heart-shaped beignet she’d made which Margot admired, and so on. Rogers nods along, occasionally throwing in a question, but mostly he just listens to Tilly’s chatter and smiles.

“So, are you going to start charging me rent now? Haha.”

Even though she turns the question into a joke, Rogers notices the the hint of insecurity in her tone. “No, I’m not going to charge you rent. But I think you should go on marmalade runs from here on.” He pretends to look stern while saying it.

“I can work with that,” says Alice and grins, reassured.

Two days later, Rogers gets home after a long day at work to find Tilly sitting astride a chair in front of the aquarium, staring intently at the fishes. She gives a start of surprise upon hearing him and turns her head. She smiles when she realizes who it is. Rogers takes off his boots and hangs his jacket on the coat stand. He joins Tilly and immediately notices a new aquarium ornament in the tank—a pirate ship complete with a peg-legged pirate and doubloons spilling out from a treasure chest.

“Tilly, did you buy this?” he asks, not entirely pleased. “You shouldn’t be spending your money on things like this.”

Tilly just narrows her eyes. “Relax, Detective. It cost five bucks. And you know what—the fish like it.”

“Is that so?” he laughs.

“Mmhmm,” she says, pointing to where her namesake little red starfish has started poking at the ornament. As they watch, the starfish crawls over it and knocks it over.

Rogers laughs. “Looks like your starfish thinks she’s a kraken.”

Tilly just glares at him, and he laughs again.

“How was your day at work?” he asks. This was Tilly’s second day working at the Bayou. She had not gone into work the day before, as Sabine had another person helping out on alternate days.

“It was really good…” says Tilly. She abruptly stands up and starts pacing the room.

“What’s the matter?” Rogers asks, concerned. He hopes things haven’t gone south at the Bayou.

“Margot asked me on a date.”

Rogers relaxes with a sigh and grins. “You had me worried there for a moment. And you said yes, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m scared,” she blurts out.

“What of?”

“What if…what if she doesn’t like me anymore after spending a whole date with me?”

His face softens. “Of course she’s not going to stop liking you, Tilly. _She_ asked you on a date, remember?”

“I know…but…what if I get upside down again? What if my medicine stops working and the puzzle pieces in my head get jumbled up once more…”

“Tilly, it’s going to be okay.” Rogers tries to reassure her.

“You don’t know that, Detective! Everything’s happening all at once! I have a real job—I never had one of those before. And now I’m going on a date, and I’m scared I’ll get mixed up again and I don’t want to live in a box or under the Troll, even if he is a nice Troll and was looking out for me all this time.” The words tumble out of her, apparently taking the wind out of her sails, and she plops down on the couch with a thump, twisting her hands over and over.

Rogers sits next to her on the couch. Making sure he has her attention, he says, “Tilly, I’m not going to say everything will be smooth-sailing from now on. You’ll probably have both good and bad days—and some of the bad days may seem worse than any that you’ve seen before. But, this time, you won’t have to face them alone. It will get better.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

Rogers’s heart breaks at the terrified, vulnerable expression on her face. Perhaps it would help if he shared some of his own struggles with her. He takes a deep breath and begins. “After I lost my hand, I started to use alcohol to cope with…everything.”

Tilly stares at him in surprise.

“It was slowly destroying my life—I lost most of my friends, and I was in danger of losing my job. I knew I had to do something. So, I finally decided to get help. I quit drinking altogether. It took me a long time to pull myself together, and there are still days when I struggle with the temptation to—. But it does get easier with time. And I give you my word, Tilly—you’ll never have to go back to living under the Troll. Okay?”

“Okay.” Tilly gives him a watery smile, looking genuinely touched that he had trusted her with this confession.

Rogers reaches out with his arm, hesitates for a second, and then continues on, wrapping his arm around Tilly and drawing her to him. She rests her head on his shoulder and dries her tears. Once she is calmer, he pats her on the head comfortingly before letting go.

“Come—let’s have dinner, and then, go get some sleep. You’ve had a long day.”

Tilly breaks into a yawn at that. “Yeah…I'm so sleepy.”

Rogers smiles.

Later, as he lays in bed, the detective ponders over this unexpected turn his life has taken. He has never considered himself a do-gooder. This is the first time he has ever truly helped someone beyond the call of duty, but he doesn’t think he deserves any special recognition for his actions. As he had told Weaver the other day, he somehow feels responsible for Tilly’s welfare. She is a special young woman with an original turn of mind, and with a little bit of encouragement and nurturing, Rogers is sure that she will thrive. As he drifts off to sleep, he makes a promise to himself that he will do his best to ensure it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again, to @ultraluckycatnd for the beta!


	4. Paper Rabbits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Roger tries to process the events and revelations following his and Tilly's capture by Eloise Gardner and her Coven of Witches. Thanks to the amazing @ultraluckycatnd for making this chapter so much better than it was.

 ***

“ _If I truly am your father_ ,” he’d pleaded, “ _I’m asking you as a father. Don’t do this_.”

He had meant it. He had put himself in a father’s place and begged her, with real anguish, not to give in to that unhinged woman’s threats.  

And yet…

He could not _really_ be Tilly’s father. It was impossible. It was insanity. Why was he even considering that it could possibly be true? Why, in his heart, did he want it to be true? Even _felt_ it to be so?

He could be no more than ten or fifteen years older than Tilly. True—he had told Weaver of the feeling of responsibility he had felt for Tilly. How he had wanted to protect her so strongly! And ever since she had moved into his apartment, his life had become just a bit more interesting. He smiled as he pictured the miscellaneous odds and ends that had started accumulating in his once pristine apartment: empty jam jars and marmalade bottles scattered on the dining table, some of which were cleaned and turned into collection jars for marbles and safety pins; quirky ornaments for his saltwater aquarium; potted plants lined up on the kitchen window sill; and his books rearranged in a different scheme every other day. Tilly had made his life more colorful and meaningful ever since she had moved into his apartment.

He never wished to go back to his empty existence ever again.

 _To be so close to happiness and kept so far away from it._ That was cruel, indeed!

If Tilly truly was his daughter, what kind of a father did that make him? She had been living on the streets, struggling to get by, stealing scraps of food here and there, while he had been living comfortably within four walls. A sharp bolt of pain lanced through his heart. Was he, after all, no better of a man than his own feckless father?

But surely…witches? _Magic?_

It was more likely that he was having a mental breakdown. He would wake up and find himself strapped to a bed in the psychiatric ward of some hospital.  Weaver would be sitting in a chair across the bed, and inform him that he was being relieved of his badge. That the Seattle Police Department did not believe he had the mentally stability to perform his duties any longer.

Flames had licked through the patterns carved on the mud floor. He had seen it with his own eyes. And yet, could he trust the evidence of his eyes if he was… _insane_?

Were these the hallucinations of a diseased mind?  That woman, Eloise, had some kind of power. Not real magic, perhaps, but could she have hypnotized him into believing all that nonsense? Could she have managed to implant a powerful psychological delusion in his mind? Had he been drugged and tortured, made to forget? _Impossible!_ He shivered involuntarily as he remembered that woman’s repugnant caress even as she had called him poison. He felt both disgusted and mortified.

How had he ever thought her a victim? Her very presence disturbed and repulsed him now. He had spent so long looking for Eloise—believing her to be an innocent victim, when all this time, _she_ had been the predator and the terror in the night.

They could all just be parlor tricks—something rigged up by the coven. That was the logical explanation. _They do it with mirrors. And the magician never tells_. He had had the wool pulled over his eyes—just like a little child going to its first magic show.

And, yet…and yet…

Oh, how his heart had jolted (with pain or joy, he could not tell) when Tilly had declared, “ _I feel that it’s true. You’re my father_ ”!

He would never forget the radiant joy on her face—the tears clinging to her eyelashes.

 _“I can’t be responsible for killing you_.”

She had then joined hands with the woman who claimed to be her mother, but was nothing short of a monster.

It was his fault. He should never have taken Tilly to the theatre. He had suspected that Eloise Gardner and her coven were up to nothing good; had known that the whole bizarre situation was potentially dangerous. And, despite everything, he had unheedingly dragged Tilly into the mess. He would never forgive himself for what he’d done.

He noticed Tilly’s origami rabbit where it had fallen on the floor of his car. As he picked it up, two fat drops of tears rolled from his eyes and fell right on top of the rabbit. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. This wasn’t the time to sit staring sentimentally at paper bunnies and mushroom stickers, and wonder if he was slowly losing his sanity. He had to see Henry. They could not both be suffering from the same elaborate delusion. And Weaver knew something—Rogers was sure of it now. Weeks and weeks of the older detective’s cryptic words and actions finally started falling into place. If Weaver had known all along that actual magic was involved, no wonder he had been circumspect with the knowledge. Whatever his faults, Rogers knew that Weaver cared for Tilly. He would step up. They _had_ to rescue Tilly from the clutches of the Coven. Rogers vowed to himself that he would, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

He placed the white rabbit on his dash—perhaps it would bring him luck and guide him to a way to bring down the Coven. Turning on the ignition, he pulled his car out of the parking lot and hightailed it to the precinct in search of Weaver.

***


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsty Knight Rook ficlet. Set soon after Alice has vanquished Gothel.

 ***

Killian waves goodbye to Alice and unlocks his apartment. The first thing he notices when he steps inside is the silence. He walks up to the middle of the living room and stands still contemplating the once more empty apartment. Every nook and corner of the room screams of Alice now.  Now that he has his memories back, he notices the similarities between the arrangement of furniture in the room and the circular room of the tower.

His face crumples. Was his life meant to be as circular as that room in the tower? Always retracing the same worn stone tiles, never moving forward? How long would he and Alice have to pay for his one prideful mistake of long ago? He had lost hope at one point—he had let himself go. But that extraordinary meeting with the Savior and his other self had given him a new lease of life even if his own intentions had been less than honorable in the beginning. As a result, the last ten years of his life in the Enchanted Forest had certainly been better than the long years of drunkenness, self-pity, and depression that had preceded them. At the very least, he had been able to see Alice every day, even if only from a distance. He had known that she was loved by other people—people who had grown to care about him as well.

He contrasts that with the past few weeks when neither he nor his Starfish had known their true identities, and yet had lived under the same roof once more. Killian does not know whether he prefers the blissful oblivion of the recent past to living in the painful reality where his cursed heart once again keeps them apart. Is it better to remember who he is and who Alice is, even if he is unable to be near her? Or had the blissful ignorance of Detective Rogers been a blessing in disguise, as it had allowed him to take care of his little Rook once again as a father?

Killian feels a surge of pride as he remembers how Alice defeated the monster Gothel. He had spoken the truth. His Alice makes him stronger. He smiles. He is much more clear-headed now. He will not give in to despair. Just as he promised his little Starfish, he will not give up until he finds a way to break the curse that keeps them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Planning to add one more chapter to wrap things up.


	6. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after Wish!Rumple has been defeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to @ultraluckycatnd for helping with brainstorming and betaing this chapter.

It is as natural as breathing. There is no awkwardness or embarrassment between them even though it has been years since physical touch has been a part of their daily interactions. Killian smiles as his Starfish hugs him in greeting and he places a gentle kiss on her forehead. 

The memories of the decades of uncounted misery where he did not even see Alice, and then, even when he could see—yet could not touch her or even be near her—begin to fade away.

“Papa,” his little Starfish beings one day as they stand at the helm of the Jolly Roger. “Robyn says she has found the perfect house for us.”

Killian freezes. There is a pang in his chest when he realizes the full import of that statement. Ever since this realm’s Rumplestiltskin was defeated, he, Alice, and Robyn have stayed on along with Tiana and Naveen. Henry has taken his family to Storybrooke for a visit, but is planning to return to the realm his wife and Tiana are originally from. None of them have any desire to go back to Hyperion Heights and their cursed lives.

And yet, in a way, Killian misses it. He had found the routine monotony of his structured life soothing. Killian is filled with grateful wonder at how, even in their cursed state, he and his daughter had been drawn together. The fierce unexplained protectiveness he had felt for Tilly—the urge to comfort and nurture her—it all makes sense now. Filled with blind prejudice and bitterness, Gothel had tried her best to keep father and daughter apart. But, the power of their love had been greater than the strength of the witch’s hatred.

Strangest of all, but perhaps it is only natural considering everything that has happened, Killian misses his partner in detection—Weaver aka Rumplestiltskin. Killian half-consciously presses a hand to his chest. It is the oddest twist of fate that the Crocodile’s heart beats inside his chest now. In the end, the man had overcome centuries of his deep-etched tendency to cowardice and selfishness and sacrificed himself to save everyone from his Wish Realm counterpart’s evil schemes. Killian knows that Rumple’s affection for Alice was a large impetus that drove him on to the sacrifice. He hopes he has found peace in the after-life. 

Killian gives a half-smile and pulls his thoughts to the present. His mood sobers. He takes a deep breath and forces a smile to his lips.

“That’s...that’s lovely, Starfish,” he tells her.

“Will you come with us tomorrow and see?” she asks, her face flushed with eagerness.

Killian does not know how he assents to her suggestion.

The past few weeks have been wonderful, the curse no longer a barrier to physical proximity, and their full memories restored to them. He and Alice have been on several short expeditions on the Jolly Roger. He will never forget the look of delighted wonder on Alice’s face when she first beheld the ship she had only known from his descriptions and paintings. Killian is inordinately pleased that his Starfish has inherited his sea-legs, though she terrifies him with her tendency to climb up and down the rigging at will. When she notices his concern, she fondly reminds him that she has magic and can protect herself in case of a fall.

Killian has not stepped back into full-fledged captaincy of the Jolly Roger, even though Smee keeps insisting that he is happy to step back into his former role as first mate. There are many things tying Killian to land now which make him reluctant to take to the high-seas on a permanent basis. Killian does not want to miss a moment of his daughter’s life. Robyn has not yet asked Alice to marry her, but he knows she means to sooner than later. While Robyn enjoys sailing, it is doubtful if she would take to a predominantly seafaring life.

Killian has known in the back of his mind that he and Alice cannot go back to life as it had been when she was a little girl. Alice is a grown woman now, and will soon be married and begin a new life with her love. Killian loves Robyn and thinks of her as a second daughter, but what role will he play now except as a third wheel? His Starfish was robbed of a normal childhood. It is only right that she gets to live normal life now. But his heart aches with the desire to spend every minute of the rest of his life in her presence.

***

The next morning, Robyn meets them at the docks. Killian once more leaves the Jolly in Smee’s capable hands and follows Alice and Robyn to the cozy half-timbered farmhouse they have found. It has ivy and honeysuckle clinging to its outer walls. The interior is bare but the rooms look comfortable and airy. Robyn and Alice chatter on about their plans for each room, but it is all background noise to Killian. Alice tugs him by his hand and leads him upstairs, Robyn following behind.

“What do you think, Papa?” she asks, giving a little hop of excitement.

Killian is a little confused at her enthusiasm as he walks around the upper story of the house. It is comprised of two rooms. Another set of stairs leads directly from the corridor to the back garden.

“It’s very lovely, Alice,” Killian says, confused when Alice’s face drops a little.

“But do you like it? Or would you prefer to be on the ground floor? Or, if you don’t like this house at all, we can look for something closer to the ocean.”

Killian’s chest constricts for a moment and he almost feels light-headed. “You want me to live with you?” he croaks.

Alice looks at him in surprise and then her face softens. “Of course, Papa! Did you imagine I would want to be away from you after all that we’ve been through?”

Killian is speechless. Robyn is smiling at them. “We both want you to live with us,” she says, answering the question in his eyes. His eyes turn misty as they all pile into a tight embrace.

Killian Jones has had a long life, and in the course of it, has felt all the gradations of joy and sorrow. He has been deliriously happy at times, and sunk to the depths of despair at others. But he can safely claim that he has never felt more contented that at this moment. 

***

 FINIS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story. I would love to hear your thoughts.


End file.
